Venom but it's Metroid
by Cryophase
Summary: Just a little self-indulgence with a Venom-like dynamic in the Metroid universe. Taking place after the events of Metroid Prime 3.
1. Chapter 1

_Varia Suit: ONLINE_

_Morph Ball: ONLINE_

_Life Support Systems: ONLINE_

_ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE. READY FOR ZERO SUIT INTERFACE_

She sighed. Was it really though? Then why did it keep rejecting her?

It started about a month ago. It had become increasingly difficult to summon her armor, until finally it stopped responding altogether. It wouldn't give her a reason, as all diagnostics came back fine. And here she had gone through the painstaking process of removing the physical suit from her body, and still she had no answers.

She had thought through a litany of possibilities, yet none seemed to fit the circumstance. The consequence was clear; she couldn't use her armor. And there was no one left alive, save for her, who even knew how it worked.

"Uhf," she groaned, wiping her face. She had a headache, and felt a bit queasy. She wasn't prone to stress, but this feeling of powerlessness was starting to get to her.

Or, it could be something else. Since the destruction of Phaaze, the Admiral had assured her that Phazon itself had ceased to be. It had lost its power and degenerated, including from her.

Yet that anxiety lingered. Samus supposed it wouldn't hurt just to make sure. So she took her place in the pilot's deck and initiated a bioscan.

STATUS: CLEAN

CORRUPTION LEVEL: 0.2%

242 had told her that there may be a lingering residue that wouldn't be enough to create a problem. It would go away completely with time, but maybe that wasn't good enough.

"Computer, do you still have the AU vaccine in your datafiles?"

"_Affirmative, it was extracted from your suit and stored during your last interface."_

"Good."

_No...no.. no._

"Calculate a human dosage and administer it to me in the med bay."

_No!_

She heard it. She had an inkling what it was, but refused to dwell on it. It didn't matter, it would be purged soon anyway.

She took her place in the ship's surgical unit and relaxed. A deep breath, not a single flinch as the ship's automated systems finished their work and hovered above her arm with a needle.

"_Administering modified AU vaccine."_

_Stop!_

A sudden wave of intense nausea hit her and she nearly fell over. But she held in place, determined.

_STOP!_

Another wave, this time it brought something up with it. Samus found herself unable to resist it. She toppled out of the vestibule and onto her knees, retching. One heave, two. She gagged, mouth dribbling as something living squirmed its way out of her.

It landed with a _splat_. Something black and blue and oozing.

"Quarantine! Now!" The Hunter commanded. She stumbled backwards, eager to put distance between herself and the thing that had crawled out of her throat. The ship made quick work of it, ever-ready for the possibility of unwanted company. Within seconds a turret flared from the ceiling and fired a containment field. The liquid slime squealed, throwing itself at the sides of its tiny, hardlight prison.

The doors to the med bay slid closed behind the Hunter.

"Dammit. Dammit, dammit." No, it was fine. It was out now. It was contained. Everything was fine. She wasn't very good at lying to herself.

At least now she had a reasonable explanation for why her suit was malfunctioning. With the PED gone, it was having a hard time reconciling with the entity that had been within her. A security measure to keep anyone but her from using the suit.

"0.2%" she scoffed. Yeah, definitely more than that.

The bioscan now returned a comforting 0%. It was relieving, of course. But the question remained of what to do with the creature now dwelling in the quarantine bay.

Phazon would survive in space, so she couldn't simply jettison it. As attractive as the prospect was of dumping the invader into the vacuum, Samus knew it would simply become a problem somewhere else. No, she had to dispose of it.

She could bottle it up. Give it to the Federation for research. If this little bit had survived, why couldn't others like it? If Phazon became a threat again, wouldn't it be better to even the playing field with whoever else managed to get their hands on it?

Maybe she was overthinking it. After all there was no proof yet that it was even a threat. Maybe she should at least take a look at it, before deciding what to do.

She made her way to the back of the ship, past the flight deck, the med bay, and finally to quarantine. The ship had sealed the specimen in a container of hyper-tempered glass. It was thick like tar, runny black with flecks of luminous blue. It froze as she entered the room, as though it were aware. How much could it see, anyway?

As it stood in place, the bits of color began to coalesce in its center. A bulbous black offshoot formed as the luminous blue began to form a shape. An unmistakable, pointed 'T'.

Any doubts Samus had about killing the thing quickly evaporated. Her thoughts suddenly turned to all the possible things she could do to it before it died. Burn it, electrocute it. See how long it could go without oxygen or light. She went through her head, of all the nearest systems with white hot stars, and contemplated how easy it would be to get something through to their surfaces.

She didn't have long to think before the ship began to blare with an alert.


	2. Chapter 2

"_WARNING. HOSTILE SHIP APPROACHING."_

"Not now," she sighed. But these things rarely happened at opportune moments.

She felt the heaviness as the ship shifted course. She hated leaving that _thing_ back here alone, but she didn't have much choice. The ship's autopilot could only do so much without her.

She took her place in the cockpit, interface blaring with an alert. She couldn't see anything from the deck. The ship's radar told her that whatever it was, was coming in from behind. She wheeled her gunship around to face it, missiles armed.

It felt ridiculous piloting like this; zero suit half off and tied 'round her waist with nothing but a tank top on beneath. She should be in her suit. This ship was designed to be piloted while inside it. Aiming was hard, maneuvering more difficult, but the Hunter did it nonetheless. She locked on to the incoming ship and was ready to fire.

The enemy stopped just out of range. It seemed to be staring her down. Sleek and silvery with a twinge of green, its nose and stern forming an 'X'. She recognized it right away, for she had fought its pilot before.

But he wasn't firing. Wasn't moving. Just idling, as though surprised she had noticed his presence. What was he waiting for?

Samus suddenly became aware of a low, rhythmic whirring. It came followed by the hiss of escaping air.

"_WARNING. HULL BREACH."_

What? Where?! _How?_ The enemy had not even fired.

A loud, metallic creak rocked the ship, and the Hunter looked behind in horror as the docking platform came loose and unhinged from beneath her ship. A beady pair of robotic eyes looked up from the hole, its fingers hot from welding. She felt she almost recognized the thing from Elysia.

The ship's defense systems flared to life, blasting a wall of hardlight against the breach. Lights began to flash red. The shield would not last forever, and when it ran out, she would be exposed.

_SLASH!_ The enemy ship used her distraction as an opening. One of the engines was compromised.

This was insane. How did that tiny robot get past security protocols? Why did he even have one like it? How did he know exactly where to target?

The strikes continued to come. _SLASH!_ A sizeable crack through to the pilot's deck. _SLASH! _Another gaping hole behind far behind her. _CRASH!_ The quarantine bay's carefully aligned pods shattered all in one go. The specimen followed the shards of glass through one of the quickly-emptying holes in the ship's hull. The hardlight keeping the biggest hazard at bay gave out, and the force of the suction tore the Hunter from the cockpit.

_My suit!_ If she could just get to it now, maybe it would accept her. It had to. She'd cleared the corruption, what other reason could it have to continue to malfunction? She wouldn't be able to get it properly calibrated in conditions like this but she could at least get inside it before it was too late. The pull of the vacuum was intense, and it was all the Hunter could do to latch on to anything she could find that was firmly attached to the ship's walls.

Pull by pull, she climbed her way to the deck, where her suit lay waiting. She could feel the wind tearing at her skin and making it difficult to see.

Almost there. She could see the verdant glow of her chest piece. The familiar cannon and steely orange shoulders. She reached. With one hand she reached forward against the current of air. Almost, _almost. _The tip of her finger just barely scraped the crimson chassis when a metallic screech filled the air. The headrest of the pilot's chair ripped free of its foundation and came hurtling towards the Hunter's head. It came far too quickly for her to react, and with a _clang_ it knocked her straight back. She lost her grip on the ship and flew towards the hull breach.

She had been so close. Suddenly she started to think of everything she could have done differently.

Cold, space was so cold. The bright interior of the ship had disappeared so quickly, replaced by an endless sea of stars.

_Why didn't I try sooner?_

It was so cold.

_Why did I waste so much time… _

It felt as though a thousand claws were squeezing into her chest. The wind was knocked out of her faster than she could even realize it. No air. Nothing, and it was so cold.

This couldn't be it. This couldn't be how it ended. She was going to take that denial to her grave, it seemed.

Black, cold, quiet. Her starship was so small now, trailed by a stream of debris as the silvery green ship latched on with a tractor beam and carried it away.

They disappeared. Everything did. An infinite stretch of black soon engulfed all things around her, until not even the stars shone through it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Stupid wretch. Can't even move her while she's sleeping._

One breath in, one breath out. In…. and out. The familiar sound rang in her ears as the brilliance of a trillion stars graced her vision. All were tinted a pallid blue.

It took a moment for her to register what was going on.

_I'm alive?_

She looked around. There was nothing, nothing for miles. Nothing except a hand. Not hers, but familiar nonetheless. It was bony, and deep, navy blue. A streak of blue light was tattooed lengthwise across the arm.

_What?_

Suddenly she paid attention. She started to look herself over. She was armored from head to toe, yet it felt horribly wrong. Deep ribs carved themselves across every segment, speckled by chaotic veins of blue. A spiked, elegant cannon rested to her side, its tip glowing a radiant cyan.

The Hunter had seen this before only in her nightmares, in a world where she lost the fight against the power-hungry witch in her head.

But she hadn't lost, had she? She was still in control. Her motives had not changed, she was still clear of mind. Then how-?

_You're welcome._

A familiar voice. Far more benign than it had been before. It sounded defeated now, no longer the cocky antagonist it had been. The same voice that had killed her friends. The same voice that had invaded her body, and seemed intent on doing it again. The same voice that had started a war of worlds, and had tried to drag everyone down into a corrupted hell with it.

The Hunter didn't answer. She didn't want to ask why it had saved her. She didn't want to know. Or rather, she already knew. The only reason she could fathom was that it served the dark creature some greater purpose if she were alive, rather than dead.

_You're not wrong._

She flexed her hand. _Her _hand, her real one, seemed intact beneath the armorsuit that had been forced upon her. She could move her legs, her neck, her back, with surprising ease. There was no resistance, no second commander pulling the strings against her.

But what did it matter, if she could move. There was nothing to push against to gain any leverage, thousands of miles out in the vacuum of space- But then, simply moving wasn't all she could do. Samus suddenly remembered this thing could fly too, couldn't it?

As soon as she willed it, it happened. She felt a bit of propulsion from her feet and found she was moving forward.

_Fast learner._

Samus tried to remember what her trajectory had been before the incident. She had been nearing a star system. She took a moment to orient herself, going over the constellations she could see. She made her decision, and picked up speed. The nearest inhabited planet wasn't too far.

_Vaeres? Haven't been there before…_

It was trying to talk to her. It was different now, for instead of taunting her and attempting to drive her to madness, it was simply trying to make small talk.

_It? No… 'she'. Just like you, Samus._

Samus did her best to ignore it. She didn't even think about what to say in return. Anything she considered would be picked up by the thing in her head.

_I'm so used to having millions of minds to speak to, this silence is maddening._

Good.

_Oh, there it is. That stubborn snark. I knew you couldn't keep it bottled up forever._

No response. Only an ironclad discipline that kept the Hunter moving forward in her strange new armor. Minutes soon turned to hours. She kept accelerating, slowly but surely. A red-orange planet was beginning to come into view. Never did the voice stop.

_You really shouldn't be so cold. I'm the only reason you're alive._

You are the only reason my suit rejected me in the first place, Samus thought impulsively. The creature was slowly learning which things to say to trigger the Hunter's mind.

_I'm still being far more charitable than you deserve, letting you use me like this. To go wherever you want without objection._

Samus scoffed. There was no way it was letting her, just like there was no way it had "let" her use the Phazon in her system to kill it and its world.

_So you think you're in control, then? You think I don't have the power to leave you to die here in space?_

"Then do it."

There was silence. No change, no response.

Maybe the thing really couldn't stop her. It was a doppelganger, made from stolen parts. She was the original. Even this suit she wore was a modified version of her own, powered by her own unique biosignature.

_Don't flatter yourself with crackpot theories too much._

"Then why?"

_Think long enough, smart girl. You'll get it eventually._

"You should be dead. You and everything like you. You used me to rebuild yourself once, and now you're doing it again. Only difference is you have even less to work with than the first time."

_Oh, I'd say I have far more. I never did get such a good look at your innards before. They're so marvelously fragile._

"You won't kill me. You need me."

_For now._

Samus understood the situation. The parasite was biding time, reviving itself within her. And once it finished, so was she.

_Smart girl… _

But if she could find her suit first, her ship, she could be the one to end it. The vaccine would purge her. Everything would go back to normal.

_Guess you'll have to hurry then, won't you?_

There it was. That's what she was used to. The taunting. Incessant, cocky, infuriating. It was almost comforting, a return to formula.

The details of Vaeres' surface started to come into view. Greys and blues spackled by seas of orange. The oceans changed with the seasonal blooms, and the residents of its vast cities were enjoying a mild winter.

She was almost dreading getting to its surface, because that was where her plans ended. She hadn't the slightest clue where to start with fixing this mess.

The Hunter made planetfall near the only city on this planet she had been to before, one with a high population of human colonists.

Making planetfall in a suit, rather than a ship was an experience the Hunter didn't know what to expect from. She was surprised at the abuse the suit could take. As the friction of her body against the atmosphere set the air ablaze, she started to sweat. She could think of little else funnier than ending this bizarre journey with death on entry, having set herself on fire with the own moronic gamble that this would work. But her doppelganger had done this before, just not with her inside.

Her limbs were turning white-hot. Samus trembled at the thought of her unwanted helper retreating, leaving her to burn.

_I could, if I wanted…_

A nerve-wracking few minutes later it was over. The heat cooled. The air turned to thick grey clouds as the Hunter dipped below them and finally landed on the planet's surface, just outside the city.

Getting there didn't change anything. The Hunter was at a loss for the next step. Logically it would be to start searching for anyone who might have a clue as to the identity of the pirate who had stolen her gear. The strange thing was she felt she _did_ know. She had known when he first appeared. She was sure she recognized that ship, that she'd seen it before. Fought it, collected data on it, even.

Yet strangely now she was having trouble remembering his name. She would never forget an enemy so easily. Then why? Perhaps the alien creature in her head was making her forget.

_Oh please. You can't go blaming me for every little malfunction in your soft human head._

It had to be. Of course the thing didn't want her getting her suit back. It needed her helpless for as long as it could manage.

The Hunter was even starting to forget what the ship that had attacked her even looked like. What else would she forget? Who she was? What she did? Where she came from?

No, all that was still there. At least she thought it was. She couldn't panic. The creature hadn't been able to do that before, so why should it now? It was fine. Everything would be fine.

_So bad at lying… _

"I need a drink."

She said it out loud, though she didn't know why. Maybe just hearing her own voice instead of that damn _thing's_ was comforting. But the voice seemed so much more focused than it had been before, so much louder, even. Maybe it really didn't have any more victims to draw its attention anymore.

She needed to stop dwelling on it. Calm down. A distraction was needed, and she knew the perfect place in this city to find it.


	4. Chapter 4

Samus wasn't much of a drinker. She didn't go out often. Not necessarily for lack of wanting, but for lack of time. Now she had nothing but time. She had no idea where to go from here, so she might as well not be miserable.

She called back the suit, uncertain what it would look like when she did. But it seemed to listen when she commanded it, and quickly she looked like her human self again. Disheveled, dressed for the gym or a jog. She asked a few locals for directions to a favorite spot.

_So you're giving up and wasting time already? How boring._

The place wasn't anything fancy. Bright neon marked its entrance, with one letter missing. Inside was loud, music blaring and people talking over each other.

_Couldn't we go somewhere less noisy?_

"No."

It was strange being surrounded by people who weren't in combat gear. Talking, dancing, having fun. No war, no training, just goofing off and wasting time.

Maybe if she got drunk enough she'd feel like joining them. She weaved through the crowd to the bar and sat down at the first open stool she saw. She didn't want anything fancy, just something that would get the job done as fast as possible; a few shots of vodka. The bartender gave her a dirty look, as though the way she'd spoken had come off as rude or awkward. It probably did.

She took one shot, then another. The second one came bubbling back up in an unpleasant convulsion. She covered her mouth as she struggled not to spit it everywhere. She cringed as she swallowed the backwash anyway. Her defiance prompted a hiss in her head.

"What is your problem?"

_Burns… _

"Too fucking bad."

Could it really feel everything she was feeling? Samus wasn't going to let the thing ruin the only peace she might have left in her life. If she was going to die, then fine. She'd at least go out having fun.

The more she drank, the more she could ignore the creature inside her. She was starting to lose count of how many times she'd been topped off. Was it 5? Or 6? Maybe 7? Focus on the music, the liquor, the nice-looking brunette two stools down. The strange-looking bartender who just came in to replace the human one who'd served her.

No, not just strange-looking; familiar, and he shouldn't be here. Eel-like face inlaid with eight glassy eyes. He was a Pirate. He glanced at the Hunter and barely gave her a second thought. No, she guessed he wouldn't recognize her like this.

_You want to blow his head off together?_

She did. She knew she had to. That was her job, after all. The Hunter quietly summoned an icy blue cannon on her right arm.

"Can I get you anything else?"

The Pirate was speaking, in perfect human tongue.

"I-"

Samus squinted, she shook her head. Something was wrong. Suddenly she noticed the Pirate's flat teeth, and green eyes. He had a nose, and brown hair. The illusion fell apart piece by piece as the Hunter realized there had never been a Pirate at all, just the same lanky man who'd brought her her drinks.

The cannon dissipated. "No, no I'm good."

_So close._

"Fuck, fuck," the Hunter spat into her hands as she buried her face. She couldn't do this, she couldn't be around people. It was trying to get her to kill them.

_You're being paranoid,_ the voice said. _I just wish there were Pirates here. They were so easy to control, hardly any resistance._

She was being strangely candid, and the Hunter wondered if the alcohol was affecting her as well.

_You've no idea the scope of my influence when I was at my peak. You've _no idea _what you took from me. I was an _EMPIRE.

It was blathering now. Maybe she could use this. "I bet you knew everyone too. Including whoever stole my ship."

_Of course I do. He was one of the Pirates' favorite trading partners. Finally found a use for all that junk we got on Tallon IV._

She was spilling something useful. Samus couldn't afford to waste this.

"What junk? Chozo tech?"

_Tech, machine parts, plants, _art_, even. If they had touched it, he wanted it. Must be why he went after you. How could a collector of Chozo garbage resist a prize like you?_

"Why'd he leave you behind then?"

_That doesn't make any sense._

"You said it yourself, we're the same, right? So we're made of the same garbage."

Somewhere in her head the Hunter could hear the sound of distant laughter.

_You're poisoning me. I can't believe a creature would willingly poison their own brain just to get to me._

"That's right, and I'll keep doing it til we both die," she promised. "Unless you're going to help me."

The voice grumbled incoherently, but Samus didn't hear any objection. In fact, she found she was beginning to remember more than she could before. The thief's name, and where she had seen that ship before.

"If Sylux is after Chozo tech, then that's what we should use to lure him. You can't still do that echo clone thing can you?"

_Does it look like I can do something like that in the state I'm in? Fuck off._

"What could I use then? Form a helmet from you and tear it off?"

_You don't need an actual product you _moron! _Just take a photo of us suited and lure him. All we need is to get him here._

"Good advice," the Hunter mumbled as she fidgeted with the digital interface on her wrist.

_You never had to rely on tricks, did you? You had your armor to do everything for you. Brute force your way through everything without thinking. You're as good as helpless now, without me._

"So I rely on weapons, just like every other person who's ever fought a battle. If you're trying to tear down my self-esteem with that then you're doing a piss-poor job."

_But a weapon is all you are, isn't it? That's why they made you. To carry on their dirty work for them after you were gone._

"At least I'm not a useless puddle of sludge without my suit."

_I was THRIVING before you came along you little-_

"What about this site here?" The Hunter asked dully. "This where you and your Pirate friends might advertise something to him?"

_Don't interrupt me. How dare you-_

"Shut up."

_You think I won't kill you? You think I won't tear you up from the inside out?_

"Then hurry up and do it."

Again she felt nothing, not even a sneeze. She wasn't afraid to call her bluff.

_You think you're better than me. But I know how it is. Controlling people is addictive, and you feel good controlling me, don't you? Knowing that I'm helpless, that I don't get a say in how you use me._

"If you had a say, I'd be out killing and infecting people."

_Oh you don't know that. People change, Samus._

"You're not people."

The voice laughed. _Hurtful._

Samus got up from the bar. She stumbled a bit on her way out the door. Weird, she didn't usually feel it this badly. Maybe that damned infection was making it worse. She made it out and collapsed in an alleyway. Through the bickering, she'd managed somewhat to write out an ad on her datascreen.

She called out the parasite's suit. "Smile," she slurred as it covered her face. The click of a digital camera shutter echoed against the container she was leaning against. It looked convincing enough.

_Foggy… _

She was right. Everything felt hazy, and she was tired. So tired.

The rest of the night turned to a fog in her brain as the Hunter nodded off right there by the dumpster.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ow."

Her head ached. Actually, everything did. She'd slept slumped over and surrounded by garbage.

She stood, shakily, and started walking. She couldn't help but feel she was late for something.

The communicator on her wrist blared with message alerts. Why? Who did she contact?

A lot of people, apparently.

"_Where are you?"_

"_This some kind of scam?"_

"_Been waiting 45 minutes…"_

"_Fuck you for wasting my time!"_

"_Who are all these other people?"_

"_STILL waiting!"_

Waiting for what? The Hunter went through the messages one by one.

Apparently, she had managed to post an ad for her corrupted suit. "Authentic Chozo battle _sut_," it read. "5 million credits".

It had gotten a big response, and she had taken the time to respond to every one, telling them the same location, and the same meeting time. One hour ago.

_Classy._

"Shit."

This was really her plan? How drunk had she been? Put out a half-assed ad and hope Sylux took the bait? Stupid, stupid stupid.

Well, as long as this asinine plan was in action, she might as well check if it worked. She headed to the coordinates she had provided to every potential buyer. Angry texts continued to flood in. She had no intention of actually turning over a product, so either way they were going to be angry. It didn't matter.

It wasn't too far off.

The drunken version of herself had had enough foresight to choose somewhere wide and open. An empty lot close by to a port, where people could dock their starships. It was full of people now, mostly humans along with the occasional Federation alien. A total of seven of them, loitering in the lot, looking around- for her.

The Hunter didn't see anyone that even resembled her target. Of course not, why would she? Well, maybe he would turn up. Maybe. In fantasyland.

She slumped down against a barrier close by the lot. She kept an eye on it, as if hoping Sylux would somehow materialize after enough waiting. She was far from optimistic.

Minutes passed, then an hour. A few of the potential buyers made off angrily, swearing as they went. Still no sign of Sylux. She sighed. This was just embarassing.

"So, what's your plan when this is over?" Samus asked, as though resolved to her fate.

_What's that supposed to mean?_

"Well, one of us is gonna be dead by the end, right? And it's looking like it's me. So what's next for you?"

_Stupid question. You that bored?_

"Well, I'll be dead, right?"

The voice didn't answer. It seemed annoyed and caught off-guard.

"Back to spreading Phazon everywhere you can?"

_Most likely._

"Ever think about doing something else? I dunno, travel? Help people?"

The voice chuckled. _You are moronic, Samus Aran._

"Yeah, probably."

_You think I'm a slave to some monstrous instinct, but the truth is I'm no different from humans. What have you done? Your species started on earth til it was full to bursting, then you spread yourselves among the stars. Colonizing planet after planet until they were just as full of humans as earth was. Just like this one. You only have a problem with my kind doing the same because you're unhappy if we coexist._

"If coexisting means being infected and controlled then yeah I guess we do have a 'problem.'"

_Corruption and colonization are just two colors of the same crime._

"Uh-huh."

_You don't have an argument for why I'm wrong, do you? Pathetic as always._

"I don't have anything to prove to you. Look around. There's more than just humans here. That's because we're capable of getting along with other species without invading their bodies and brainwashing them."

_We can't exactly communicate our intentions without that._

"Yeah? Well while you're in there figure out how to grow a mouth. Then you can lie all you want before you take someone over."

_Noted._

Ships came and went. Samus must have seen a dozen different species by now. She wondered if one might even have been her target, unarmored. She had no way of knowing.

_You know, this is Federation space. He's probably using a proxy._

Samus was surprised at the sudden interjection. Could she trust it? "How am I supposed to know which one is here on his behalf?"

_How indeed._

"Right, thanks."

_I'm not here to help you Samus, but I will give you one piece of advice._

Samus felt a tingling in her right arm. The parasite's cannon manifested itself, tendrils bursting from its tip. It shook and hummed with power, waiting to release.

_Infect them all in one go, and we will know everything that they do…_

"Not happening."

_Your choice._

"Yeah, it is. And it's not happening."

_Fine._

The cannon dissipated in a flurry of blue.

The Hunter sighed. There had to be a way to filter out Sylux's proxy, if there even was one. There had to be something only he could know or understand.

What did she know? She knew that Sylux had an uncanny knowledge of the schematics of her ship. Possibly, he had seen something like it in his years of Chozo collecting. She knew he had an Elysian maintenance bot he had somehow reprogrammed to attack her ship.

"Wait- that's it."

The voice in her head trilled. It felt intrigued, and slightly afraid.

"He somehow reprogrammed a Chozo robot- he knows enough about their engineering, their coding language to do that. That's rare. That- it's uncanny. But it's something only he would know."

She didn't know exactly who she was talking to. Maybe she was simply taunting.

She pulled up the digital communicator on her wrist and drafted a new message. Something handwritten, something that wouldn't be read in any translator. She fell back on what she remembered from her teachers as a youth, that someday she might carry on their legacy. She used the same language to modify her suit and her ship, and it was something she once thought only she knew.

The message was a few lines of Chozo code. When executed on the right machine, it would yield a series of coordinates. But no one but Sylux would be able to do so, and so only he-or whatever proxy he was using- would be able to find them. She sent them to every single person who had responded to her ad, and headed back into the city.


	6. Chapter 6

This time she chose someplace more secluded. It was an older part of the city, one that hadn't been fully developed. The buildings were decades old and dilapidated, all plastered with a number of warnings. "No Trespassing", "Private Property", of course they didn't stop homeless squatters from taking advantage; the cheap hardlight barriers around them did. Maybe one day the owners would actually put the buildings to use, instead of letting them rot. But for now, it made for an ideal place to conduct shady business.

Samus waited, slouched in an alley against the hardlight surrounding a decrepit old restaurant. She waited for hours. Maybe he wasn't in that pool of buyers after all.

_Tick tock, Samus…_

Finally she saw someone. He wandered into the alley, nose buried in the screen of a phone, as though he were following directions. He couldn't have been older than 20, and was painfully ordinary. Tan skin, curly brown hair, dressed in flannel and jeans, he just couldn't be who she was looking for.

He approached the Hunter, looking up briefly.

"Are you uh…"

"Who?"

"No, nah, nevermind," he turned away and started walking, fast. Like he was afraid of something.

"Wait!"

He kept walking, and it turned into running.

The Hunter summoned the parasite's suit, and suddenly she was much faster. Her feet left the ground as she was lifted into the air. It was strangely exhilarating. The Varia suit could leap for bounds, certainly, but it was nothing compared to this.

She swooped onto her fleeing target and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"SHIT! It is you! Okay."

"You're here to buy the suit?" The Hunter's voice rasped distorted from beneath the visor.

"Y-yeah."

"Who told you where to find this place?"

The kid froze, his face turned white as a sheet. "No one."

The Hunter held out a clawed hand. "Give me your phone."

"What? No!"

Samus was growing weary. She didn't have time to deal with him. So she quickly grabbed the thing from his hands and ignored his protests.

Yes, he had been conversing with someone. Someone who had told him exactly where to meet. In fact, there was only one contact on this phone. No other data. It was a burner.

"Look I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry for helping that dude, but please don't arrest me. My parents can pay you, they'll-"

"You know who the person is who sent you here?"

"I mean, not personally. Said he just needed help delivering something from here to outside Fed space. It sounded shady and I know it's wrong but I have no idea who he is, I swear!"

"Where was he having you meet him, after this?"

"Uhh, near the Aelena system. I think. The coordinates are there if you give me that back-"

"That's a few light years away," Samus said. She looked away. "You can't go that fast, can you?"

"Who are you talking to?"

The Parasite only laughed.

"Right. So you have a ship then?" The Hunter turned back to face the confused human boy.

"Well yeah, but-"

"Good. Where is it?"

"Oh come on lady, I don't want any more trouble."

"Sorry, this is important," She didn't like this. But she didn't have a choice.

"You know, the real Samus, he would never do this. You're just some weird blue knock-off!"

The Parasite laughed harder now.

_Yes, too bad "he's" not here. You're so wonderfully cruel. Is this how the Hunter acts when she's backed into a corner?_

"I'll bring it back," she promised.

_Sure you will._ The voice laughed. She was positively loving this.

"What?! I'm not trusting you, my parents will kill me if they realize I got my ship stolen."

The Hunter sighed. "This isn't a request," she told him. She tapped her arm cannon, but wouldn't point it at him. She only hoped he wouldn't call her bluff.

The kid looked defeated, and he started to sweat. He realized he didn't have a choice.

"You're a real asshole, you know?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

He had parked close, so the walk wasn't too far. Though for some reason it was more comfortable for the Hunter to float. He'd left it in an abandoned lot behind a boarded-up building. It was compact, silver with tinted black windows. Expensive-looking, and out of place with the derelict surroundings.

"If you're well-off enough to get something like this, why take this job?"

"I dunno, relying on my folks' money is embarrassing."

Well, it didn't feel as bad, knowing he wasn't exactly desperate.

"So you're really shipjacking me?" he asked begrudgingly, fishing the keys from his pocket.

"Yeah, what's your name?"

"Jacob. Why the hell do you care?"

"Right, Jacob, I'll bring it back."

"Uh-huh."

If he knew, he might not be so reluctant to help. If he knew her getting off this planet and retrieving her suit and ship was the difference between reviving a galactic threat or not, he would be less concerned with his parents' wrath. But Samus was sure he would think her insane if she even attempted to explain this situation.

Samus took the keys from his hands as he gave her the most piteous expression. This ship, his parents- that was his whole world. His whole source of distress. She envied him.

He took off running as soon as she was inside his ship. Probably to file a police report, she imagined.

This ship was much clunkier than hers. It had been a while since she had flown something so primitive. She needed both hands to pilot it, and so she commanded her suit to retreat. The darkling within her had been quiet for a while, and she remained that way as the ship lifted from the ground, and shot into the sky.

She tapped back in to Jacob's burner. "_Got it,"_ she messaged the buyer. She reviewed the coordinates he had given his proxy, and punched them into the console.

She flew a distance from the planet's atmosphere before engaging the warp drives. Space melted away as they were catapulted through the stars. It would be a bit of a wait.

_Tick tock…_


	7. Chapter 7

Days, she waited days. The warp drive on this ship was a joke, but it was meant for short-range leisure. Not jobs, and certainly not jobs outside Federation space.

Samus wondered how low she was running on time. She was certain the parasite would offer no hint as to how close she was to reviving herself. She had been uncharacteristically quiet, though the Hunter was sure she was up to something.

Long flights on life support were nothing new. She was used to the monotony and silence. But this time, she knew someone else was there.

"Not feeling chatty anymore?"

She didn't really want to talk to the thing, but the silence was unnerving, and making her paranoid.

The ship's display trilled with an alert. They were nearing their destination, and the warp drive was slowing.

The coordinates led them to a space station-turned marketplace orbiting a desolate moon, shaped like a spinning top. Ships of various shapes and colors whizzed in and out between its many docks. The top of the station offered a glimpse of the chaos inside. An open bazaar, stuffed with people running frantically between shady-looking vendors. This was where citizens came to acquire things they shouldn't have.

The burner buzzed with a message.

"_I see you are close. You know where to meet me." _

Did she? The coordinates came to a pinpoint that appeared to be an empty patch of space, close to a docking bay. It was abandoned, but this was where he had designated. Perhaps he was waiting to see her docked before showing himself? Or perhaps he would simply send another proxy.

It unnerved her a bit that Sylux, if it was indeed him on the other side of the message, knew exactly where she was. And yet, she complied. She neared the designated space until the distance read showed 0 for each coordinate.

The engine stalled. Samus waited. She looked around for any sign of her target. He sure was taking his time, if he was coming at all.

Something wasn't right. Samus picked up the burner, waiting for a message. Nothing. Samus thought she felt it vibrate. It felt hot, too hot for a phone. And suddenly it started to feel unbearably so. The Hunter felt a creeping dread. And her unorthodox partner must have sensed her paranoia. A navy ooze enveloped her and quickly solidified as she threw the burner across the cockpit and shielded her face.

The knockback sent her flying, along with a thousand bits of shrapnel. She was rocketing away from the station, and she quickly oriented herself, blasting herself in the opposite direction to stabilize herself.

The ship was in pieces. Bits of hull rammed against one another soundlessly as a weak fire burned on the parts still within the station's atmosphere.

_Guess you really won't be returning it then._

"Shit!"

The Hunter pressed herself against the station and hid as she watched a distinctive black-and-green ship fly by and swoop down onto the wreckage. Finally seeing that ship was less gratifying than she had hoped, given the circumstances. He emerged, slim green visor twisting about his neck as he began to inspect the rubble. Samus started to piece it together.

Sylux had been tracking them through the burner, and now he had detonated it. When he saw it was sitting in one place, he assumed his proxy was docked, and this was meant to kill him. An authentic Chozo suit would have survived the blast, a human would not. She supposed he assumed no human would be capable of wearing it.

While her adversary was distracted, Samus propelled herself towards his ship, latching on to one of its rear wings. She watched as he sifted through the wreckage. What was the plan now? Get the jump on him and kill him? No, that would be moronic. She had no way of knowing where he was keeping her suit and ship, or if he even still had them. For all she knew, he might have already sold them.

_Doubtful. I've never known him to part easily with anything Chozo._

"Guess you're still there then."

Maybe take him hostage? Force him to take her to where he was keeping them? But there were bystanders here, surely he would use them.

_Always the direct approach with you, no subtlety at all. Follow him, you mongrel._

"What?"

_He won't find what he's looking for, he'll leave. Follow him, and see where he takes you. He likely has a base somewhere, with all the tech he buys. _

"How would I follow him? I don't have a ship."

Samus felt her hand flex. The parasite's armored claws dug into the hull of Sylux' ship like daggers. The arm cannon on her opposite side disappeared and gave her another claw, just as dexterous.

"You can't be serious."

_Do you have a better plan? You don't seem to have the brains for them._

Samus didn't, much as she hated to admit it. She conceded, and watched, waiting for her target to inevitably realize his search was fruitless, and return home.


	8. Chapter 8

Another journey in an unfamiliar vessel. This time, she was outside it, holding on to the wing as it flashed by countless stars. The occasional change of scenery was mesmerizing for a while, but Samus was tired. So, so tired. She feared if she slept her grip might slacken and she would wake up lost in uncharted space.

These past few days she had felt like little more than a witness to her own life, rather than an active participant. She had detached herself in many ways. From what the creature inside her had done to her, to her friends. To the fact that it was biding its time, waiting to kill her, despite all appearances that it was helping her now. Yet that was the one thing she couldn't piece together. Why was the darkling taking such initiative? Driving her mission forward, helping her instead of hindering her? The only explanation she could come up with is that it had resigned itself to its loss in this twisted race, and wanted to win the Hunter's favor in the hope of mercy.

_Well, is it working?_

Samus did not want to answer, but she couldn't stop her own thoughts in response to the question. No matter what, the thing was a dangerous threat, and she wasn't swayed by any perceived acts of charity.

_Still planning to kill me then. But what if I told you my mind was changed? That this arrangement we have could be permanent?_

"I would say I don't believe you, and that there's nothing I'd like less than for this to last forever."

_You're quite ungrateful, did you know that? _The parasite tsked. There was a cockiness in her voice. Samus didn't answer.

_Look._

The Hunter followed an involuntary tilt of her head and looked up. A planet was coming into view. A deep brown, pocked by black which resembled splatters of paint.

"What planet is this?"

_Why would I know?_

It suddenly occurred to Samus just how far she was from help. She was used to not needing it, though she had found herself in dire need more than once before. Never anywhere like here. The communicator she carried was unlikely to work this far away from Federation space. She had no ship, and no idea where she was. There may not be anyone to ask, either. It was just her, Sylux, and the manipulative creature dwelling inside her. Far, far away from any human help.

_Just hitting you, isn't it?_

"I'm not afraid."

_Yes. It's annoying._

They made planetfall. The atmosphere was thick, breathable. As they neared the surface Samus realized her impressions of this world from a distance were entirely incorrect. She had thought it desolate from its apparent lack of water, yet the splotches of black began to light up with the complexity only biology could provide. Vast canopies of broad-leaved, ashen trees obscured the surface. The ship came to a slow as it switched to a lateral flight. The trees began to part, revealing a vast gorge.

The walls of the canyon were dotted with unnatural platforms and entrances. As it widened into a valley, Samus could see the remains of what was once a thriving village. She caught herself admiring the structures; tall, imposing spires cast in a familiar bronze, giving way to intricate designs that put form over function. Even what were clearly communication relays were built with mind to artistry.

If the architecture didn't give it away, the avian busts dotted between structures would. This was once a Chozo world.

The ship came to a stall just beneath the claws of an Elder statue, its cold blue gaze judging all who passed it.

At the very least, the setting was familiar. Samus heard the distinct pressure shift that came with an airlock opening, as Sylux deplaned and headed into the ruins. The Hunter quickly followed, floating silently behind. What she was waiting for, she did not know, but she was in unfamiliar enough a situation that she had learned to bide her time.

Following became difficult as her target went deeper and deeper into the ruins. Where he had landed was relatively bare, but as they went on Samus noticed a gradual gathering of clutter, as though this part of the ruins had become a peculiar sort of junkyard. It wasn't so much the content of the items, but the way they were arranged that was unsettling. It was organized. Things were stacked and seemed to conform to specific categories, as though each item had been placed mindfully at one point.

As she took a closer look, it became apparent that everything was of Chozo origin. She recognized many things that she might have seen in her childhood. Old toys and gameboards etched in bronze alloys. Another pile was composed entirely of flowerpots and garden decor. The Hunter scowled as she came upon rows and rows of grave markers and funeral busts, all arranged in a haphazard manner. She could read names, and had no doubt they were stolen from their original locations. It was offensive, the unceremonious way in which they were displayed.

She saw piles of radio equipment. Stacks of broken datapads and latrine parts. Building machinery, musical instruments, tools, rugs, defunct maintenance bots, scribing tools and chemistry paraphernalia. Every subtype of item was separated into its own pile, as though the person who had placed them there had some grand plan for them. Whatever that plan was, she did not know. The amount of decay seemed to indicate a lack of resolve on that front. The items at the top of the piles were always noticeably newer. There was no end in sight.

The place had turned into a maze, and the Hunter soon realized she had lost track of her target. The sheer size and volume of this Chozo hoard had her dumbstruck.

Perhaps the most peculiar pile she came upon was not Chozo at all. Beneath a short, sheltered archway largely away from the other piles was a stack of books, unmistakably human in origin. She guessed they had been placed in the little alcove as protection from the elements. Curious, she picked one up off the top and opened it. The writing was English.

"_Log 3.15.22660_

_Communication relay from Elysia. Functional, but purposeless. It sends the same signal out once every 37 cycles. It discusses the weather. I have added it to the Library in case it may be useful later. Perhaps as a means to send my own signal."_

The rest of the entries were more of the same.

"_Log 3.45.22683_

_Large containment pod from Zebes. It is shattered, and mostly useless, its wires are corroded and can no longer carry a signal, but I have added it to the Biology segment of the Library in case I find a use for it later, perhaps the metals can be repurposed."_

They were all centered around found Chozo tech, impressions about them, and possible uses. Despite the fact that most were clearly useless, the author had found cause to add them to their collection. Why anyone would choose to write these things in a physical journal, rather than digitally, was completely beyond her.

The Hunter replaced the book atop the pile, and picked another. More item descriptions. She picked another, this time a bit below it. _Principals of Biochemistry,_ it read. She browsed the makeshift library further. Many were educational, a few children's books here and there. More forgotten logbooks describing decades worth of Chozo junk. She looked for those with no titles; ones that appeared to be personal. Finally she spotted one with no words on its cover. Its spine was a thick wire. Inside were drawings, mostly. They were of reasonable skill. They depicted armor, weapons, some clearly Chozo, some human, and some mixed. They depicted robots, diagrams and circuit boards with various notes that were a mix of both Chozo tongue and English. Over time, the drawings dwindled in quality, as though the person making them had a degenerative disease. They ended long before the book was filled.

_Why are we wasting time here?_

Samus ignored the voice. She had an insatiable need to understand her peculiar surroundings here, and found herself addicted to the rush of new information. She selected another book, this time from near the bottom. It was, by all appearances, some sort of diary. Its cover was a graphic of a frog, sitting on a lilypad. Perhaps it had belonged to a child? The writing was mostly English, with intermittent Chozo runes. It was difficult to read, but surprisingly eloquent. Its first entry read;

"_Entry 1_

_The doctor has told me it would be of benefit to record my thoughts and feelings by writing them down. I find their science laughable, but perhaps their psychology has merit. After all, between our two species, theirs is the only one still thriving._

"_It has been three years since Mother left me in Tomasi's care. So what am I feeling? I feel angry. She has not returned, or had any contact since leaving. Why? They wonder why I act the way I do, I tell them that is why."_

The Hunter skimmed around. The writing was becoming less legible as time went on, much like the sketchbook.

"_Entry 56_

_I am being raised by creatures who are not privy to my needs. Why should they be? They are not Chozo. I am in the wrong world, with the wrong people, who have the wrong materials to keep me sustained. I am getting older, and more incorrect. Why? I ask myself this question daily, perhaps too often. Was I not smart enough? Not good enough? _

"_Entry 187_

_The more I learn, the angrier I become. It has been 7 years. My Mother, I hope she is dead. At least then I would be satisfied with the reason she has not returned. My people see themselves as some grand saviors, and children only impeded their great purpose. Their numbers are dwindling, they tell me. Shocking._

"_Entry 203_

_As my condition has worsened, Tomasi has decided he can no longer care for me. So, I am to be moved. The only ones who have expressed interest belong to a Federation affiliated facility. Hardly does it sound homey. But, I am used to being abandoned by those who are unable or unwilling to care. _

"_Entry 206_

_My new caretaker's name is June. She seems friendly. She seems interested in my art, and encourages me to do more._

The next few entries were written entirely in Chozo, before switching back to English.

"_Entry 215_

_They tell me to practice writing in my native tongue, so I do. Their reasoning is that if I do not use it, I will forget it. They have taken an interest in what I remember from my pre-human schooling, but I know it is more than them humoring me. They simply want information from a society more advanced than theirs, and they do not care where it comes from._

"_Entry 220_

_I continue to waste away, and they further waste my time with tests and experiments. I am considered a unique kind of animal to them. Celebrity is another side effect of rarity, and I despise it. I want to be left alone._

"_Entry 260_

_I am at the age where I should be changing, but I stay the same. In fact, I get worse. I should have been taken Home a long time ago, yet I am stuck here. Eating is hard. I can feel my beak getting soft and starting to bend in unnatural ways. My limbs become clumsy and atrophied despite my best efforts to use them. Writing becomes harder every day. The only use my caretakers have is providing painkillers. I only wish they would give me a large enough supply at once, so that I may escape this hell a bit early."_

The writing had become nearly illegible. The use of Chozo characters had dwindled, til finally they stopped entirely. Samus could only assume they had become too difficult to write.

"_Entry 274_

_Nobody will tell me anything. I don't see why. It is becoming increasingly apparent that I will be dead soon, but of course they deny this is true. They may believe I am a child, but I am still more intelligent than any adult of their species. _

"_This is degrading. They have offered me an experimental procedure to replace most of what I am with cybernetics. They seem very eager to perform it, in fact. When I pressed for answers to questions such as how they would possibly know anything about operating on a Chozo, I received dodgy answers. I suspect I am not the first. I refuse to be another guinea pig. I told them I was more than content with dying. They are unhappy with my answer."_

The writing had become more illegible to the point where Samus was having trouble deciphering it.

"_Entry 289_

_I asked June, since I was near -, if she could for once be honest - so, reluctantly, she answered -. She told me - not the first. Other -, and they all suffered similar disorders. The Chozo seem unable to produce -. It is a mark of shame for them to knowingly bring - into existence, and so many end up -. This facility sought us out. To help us, yes, but also to learn what they can before -._

"_My Mother was not only heartless, but a coward. She should - long before I was allowed to suffer this long."_

The entries stopped abruptly. Gone was the eloquent prose. There was writing, still, but it was plastered randomly across the pages. The handwriting had changed as though a completely new set of hands had written it.

"_Didn't want this, didn't want this didn't want this, didn't ask, didn't ask, didn't ask."_


	9. Chapter 9

_So, do you want to talk about it?_

She passed through the atrium and into a narrow corridor. The reduction in space did not deter this collector, it merely inspired him to use his space more efficiently. There was no room to maneuver, and the Hunter was confined to walking along a thin, winding path through the endless clutter.

"About…?"

_About the deranged relative of yours who might still be alive?_

"Why do you care?"

_I care as much as the next person about finding a rare creature we thought was extinct. But moreover, I started out life as one of their creations, just like you._

Samus didn't answer, but the parasite could nonetheless feel her shock.

_I know everything you do, Samus._

The Hunter grimaced. She couldn't wait to get this thing out of her head. She was more than tired of the constant violations of privacy, and knowing no thoughts or memories she had were hers alone.

_They created us to be exterminators and they failed. So that's why they made you, isn't it? Just Version 2 of a pest control project._

"Enough."

_But it's true, isn't it? They couldn't even use their own kind because every new one ended up a deformed mutant. And then they find you! A perfect replacement for their own screwed up children to make into a bioweapon. Thank the stars her real family is dead, so no one comes looking for her!_

Impulse took over. Samus grabbed the nearest object, a heavy bronze pipe, and struck her own face.

A heavy _CLANG_ barely echoed with all the clutter around. The parasite's form shuddered as its helmet recoiled from the blow. The Hunter felt it too, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

_Struck a nerve, did I?_

Samus didn't know why she was letting the thing get to her. This was what children did, picking and picking til they got a reaction, to feel like they were in control. She supposed, in a way, it was a child. It had been barely over a year since it had been granted sentience.

_You can insult me all you want. They were monsters and they brainwashed you. You don't even stop to question it._

"Okay, you want to talk about it? They made you, then you were corrupted. You've been serving the will of that blue sludge even after I gave you the brains to think for yourself. You think you're better than me? At least I made my own choices."

It seemed to catch her off-guard. There was no witty response.

_Never said I was better than anyone._

It was the first thing she'd said that made Samus feel like she might be talking to a person. She wondered how self-aware the thing really was.

The Hunter was exhausted. She sorely missed being alone. She couldn't remember the last time she'd spent this long with anyone, let alone her current companion.

She was nearing the end of the corridor. Uneven light poured in from a crack in the clutter. There was an entrance there too thin to fit through as she was.

She peered through the crevice. On the other side she could just make out another pile of junk, partly obscured by a wall. On its edge was a wide cylinder filled with gears and pistons. It looked like some sort of engine.

Her armor withdrew as she squeezed herself through the gap, but not without an indignant growl from her partner.

_Could have just blasted a hole in it you know._

She stood, and rushed towards the engine. Yes!

Around the bend, atop a disheveled pile of ship parts was her own, fully intact gunship. She could hardly believe it.

Its hull bore heavy damage. One section had been almost completely ripped off by someone attempting to get access to the cockpit. The auto-repair was well underway, but an opening remained.

The Hunter leaped into the cockpit. As she feared, her suit had been removed. Everything else seemed untouched. She supposed everything but the suit was already in the 'correct' pile.

She briefly glanced towards the back, wondering if the med bay was still functional. She walked to the rear of the ship only to be disappointed. Every fine instrument was warped or broken, still bearing the brunt of the assault. The auto-repair was working, but it was far from usable.

_Too bad._

The Hunter returned to the deck and slumped into the pilot's chair. She reached toward a compartment beneath the navigation console, and removed a familiar silver pistol. She holstered it to her side.

_What's that for?_

"Just in case."

_In case of what?_

"Don't know yet." The Hunter leaped from the hole in the hull. It was getting narrower, as the ship's systems chugged away, repairing it. She hated to leave her ship, but she couldn't fly it now, and she wasn't leaving without finding her armor.

_I don't know why you continue to muck about on the ground. We can fly without that ship, you know._

"'We,' huh." It took some getting used to. "Seems like a good way to get caught."

_Then _get _caught. What's the benefit of staying hidden anymore? Find him, beat him, make him lead you where you want to go._

She had a point. Samus had beaten Sylux before, but she had her own suit back then. She didn't quite trust this 'replacement' in battle, though, and wondered if she was being led into a trap.

_Please, if I wanted you dead I'd do it myself._

"If?"

She called out the armor. It swallowed her whole and lit up with a sinister blue. An effortless jump, and they were up. Higher and higher as the blackened leaves of the native plants shrank away. Samus struggled to fly straight, she was wobbling and off-balance. She found her own body confused by the mixed sensations of gravity pulling her weight as the suit around her functioned on some sort of zero-G.

_You're horrible at this, stop fighting and let me take the lead._

The Hunter could feel her influence. Weak, but it was there. Like a nudge on a limb, suggesting her where to move, yet not strong enough to control her. Reluctantly, she let them push her. She stabilized.

As the nausea of uneven flying faded, Samus found she could appreciate the view. Black forests dipped below the horizon in every direction. Lakes of sulfuric green dotted barren badlands where no foliage dared to enter.

"Must have been nice, being able to do this whenever you wanted."

_It's useful, nothing more._

The sprawling ruins beneath her were in full view. She could see her ship, and began to scan for another object cast in the same familiar orange.

"It is," the Hunter said. "The Federation could use you, you know. You'd be pretty valuable as a bounty hunter."

_And you would make a good comedian._

"Maybe."

_That was a joke, by the way, I actually find you painfully unfunny._

"Mmm."

The Hunter began to descend. She could feel the parasite fighting her, but to no avail. She planted her feet back on the ground.

_Give up already?_

"Why are you helping me." It wasn't a question as much as a demand. It dawned on the Hunter that it was likely a good thing she hadn't found her suit yet. Clearly she was not the only one who wanted to.

_I suppose there's no need for secrets anymore. I need your suit as much as you do to become whole again._

"You know I can't let that happen."

_Yes._

Why was she telling her this? She looked her hand over. Violet and shiny, covered with the parasite's thick, oily form. How in control was she really?

One thing was for certain. This thing needed to be contained before she could ever touch her suit again.

"Why don't I make you a deal? Get out of me, I'll put you back in quarantine. I'll find my suit, and I won't kill you."

The parasite could sense she was being truthful, but she also knew what the rest of her offer entailed.

_Ah, what an attractive offer, to make me a Federation labrat. I almost prefer death._

"Cooperate with them, and your containment won't be too bad."

The darkling laughed. _What a joke. Why would I trust them any more than I trust you?_

"You don't have a choice."

_Fine. Humans are foolish. They will slip up and I will find a way to escape._

"I'm counting on it," the Hunter replied. This compromise was moronic, but it was her only option, if the parasite even complied.

The Hunter started searching around the piles of clutter for something she could use for containment. She made her way back to the assortment of lab equipment she had seen earlier in her trek. Most of the containers were small, or open-ended. She needed something with a seal. After a while of digging through the pile, she found something. About the size of a paint bucket, it was marked with biohazard symbols. Its top was screwed on, and a satisfying hiss of air as she opened it told the Hunter it was airtight.

_Not big enough._

"Not big enough? You're a goddamn puddle, how much space do you need?"

_More than this._

"You are stalling."

_I'm not. _

The Hunter huffed. Of course the thing was being difficult. Why did she think it would cooperate, anyway?

"Fine, I'll find something bigger."

The Hunter replaced the container and got up.

_Tap._

The Hunter stilled.

_Tap._

The Hunter stood at the ready, gun cocked. Something was here. It was the sound of slow, careful footsteps. The organic suit's helmet lacked the sophisticated instruments of her own, and she struggled to pinpoint the source of the noise.

_Tap._

She was ready. Whoever was there, she would handle it, just as she had everything else that had been thrown her way.

_ZZZZZAP!_

A flash, a sizzling crackle. The Hunter's field of vision filled with electric blue as an inhuman screech filled her skull. She could barely make out a figure in black and green, a trail of lightning blazed from its arm and directly into her. She had seen it before, this weapon was built to drain her shields. But now, she was different. She had no idea what effect it would have on her, but it certainly didn't feel promising.

She couldn't move. The parasite screamed in her head. The Hunter felt as though someone was trying to tear her skin from her body. She fell on her knees. Her visor shimmered and faded and she could see her limbs, shaking, the deep blue of the suit lifting off them and fighting to stay put. The Shock Coil was tearing them apart.

"Let go!" she begged. She was at her limit. She hadn't felt pain like this in years. If it went on much longer, the thing would skin her alive.

A sudden wave of nausea, as though every organ was shifted around. The suit dissolved into a single-colored liquid and followed the stream of energy from the stolen weapon as it poured from Samus' body. The Hunter collapsed, her breathing heavy as she tried to recover. Groggily she stared as Sylux ceased fire. Her doppelganger formed a puddle on the ground. It shifted, trying to form...something? A grotesque shape began to emerge, gasping for air as its figure became apparent. Arms, legs, a chest, a dripping, misshapen head. She was a skeleton with a loose assortment of cyan and red innards. Her bones seemed to be dissolving as fast as they formed.

"Interesting," a metallic voice slithered from the vertical visor of her assailant.

The parasite groaned. It came out as a sickening gurgle as her mouth simultaneously formed and dissolved. Sylux approached her. He lifted the creature's chin with his boot, looking its melting face over before slamming his heel into its skull. With a wet _SPLOOSH_ the entire thing collapsed into a puddle.

"Eugh," the bounty hunter spat. His visor turned now to the human. She was on her knees. No armor, defenseless. There was no one here to help her. He could hardly believe his luck.


	10. Chapter 10

"So this is what you look like underneath," he said. The Hunter was still struggling to stand. "Not as intimidating now, without your stolen suit." She barely had time to react before a metal hand clamped around her throat and lifted her into the air.

"Now that you're here, I wonder if you count? I could add you to the collection, but keeping you alive? Sounds like work," his hand tightened around the Hunter's neck. He seemed frustrated that she offered little else but an angry stare. No begging, no sputtering, she wasn't even struggling.

She was waiting, and as soon as the tiniest sliver of strength returned to her, she reached for her pistol. In one swift motion she raised it straight to Sylux's face and fired.

"YEAAGH!"

The fizzling sound of hot metal filled the air. Sylux fell back, clutching at his face. Samus stumbled on her feet. She fired a second shot. Golden bands of electricity wisped around her fallen enemy. He was paralyzed. The shot to his face was close-range enough that even this neutered weapon had managed some sizeable damage. The Hunter's shot had left a hole on one side of his helmet. Beneath the cracked metal and rubber she could make out a single, golden eye. It was sunken, inlaid on prickly skin surrounded by brown feathers.

The Hunter thought she might feel something at the sight. Those alien eyes were so familiar. She had known a pair that belonged to someone much more friendly. But this one wanted her dead, so what else was there to feel? There was no talking to one as far-gone as him.

Now Samus was left wondering what to do. She bolted before the Paralyzer's effect wore off. Where would she go? It didn't matter. He would hunt her down, and with no armor to protect her and no ship to get her off this planet, she'd be a sitting duck.

She heard the sounds of the electric current dissipate, and turned around, prepared to unload another round as Sylux gave chase. Yet to the Hunter's surprise, he remained on the ground. In fact he was struggling with his own assailant.

The navy blue puddle had shifted. The bulk of it now lay beneath Sylux, with a single hand sprouting from it. The hand had latched onto his face, taking advantage of the hole in his armor. Sylux clawed at the alien appendage to little avail. His gun was drenched in sludge, pinned to the ground. His free hand managed little else than to come back coated in slime from his repeated efforts to remove the parasite from his face.

Samus didn't know what to make of it. She felt she should do _something_, but what? Maybe it was better to simply let them kill each other_._

Unfortunately, she realized that may be wishful thinking. The arm pulsed and shifted as the puddle slowly lost volume. The Parasite wasn't trying to kill him, it was trying to infest him. It needed a host, and he was the closest victim. She didn't want to think what might happen if they joined together.

The Hunter fired off another shot at the both of them. Sylux convulsed, the arm seized and drew away from his head.

Another shot. The arm fell into the puddle, suddering as it struggled to maintain its form. Samus could now see she only had one option. She rushed back and grabbed the parasite's hand with her own.

"Come on, come back," she almost felt sick about what she was asking.

To her conflicted relief, the creature obliged her. It sank into her pores and rushed to cover her body as quickly as it could.

As soon as she felt the armor make connection, the Hunter leaped onto Sylux while he was still on the ground.

_Gun, destroy his gun!_

The duo sank their dagger-like claws into their adversary's right arm, and with all the strength they could muster together they slammed it into the ground beneath. Again, and again. The armor slowly chipped away, it cracked. And once it was sufficiently weakened they pulled, until the Shock Coil was ripped right out of its socket.

Sylux screamed. Beneath the torn-off arm cannon were silvery sheaths of metal, articulated much like flesh. Wires sparked out broken signals as he lay there, defeated, his trump card gone.

"You worthless piece of shit!"

Samus thought his strangely human choice of words odd. But she was exhausted and out of breath, and more than ready to finish this. She commanded the cannon to form, and took aim square at Sylux's eye. She saw it widen, afraid. Good.

She charged a shot, prepared to turn his head to a crater, just as she had done to many others before him. She could feel the satisfying heat around her fingers, so much like her old suit she may have well forgotten she wasn't wearing it. The shot was ready, she twitched her trigger finger. But then… nothing.

"What's happening? What did you do?"

No answer.

She tried again, but the cannon disappeared, and left her with a claw. Fine, she would make do. She drove a finger straight through his eye, as far in as it would go before something stopped her.

"AAAGGHH!"

A silver hand, newly freed from paralysis, reached up to grab her arm. It held her back. The Hunter watched in horror as the parasite withdrew from her arm, leaving it exposed. Sylux wasted no time. He grabbed her wrist and held it to his chest as his free hand came slamming into the center of her arm. The Hunter cried out as a loud _SNAP_ rang in her ears.

She fell back, clutching at her arm as the parasite's armor hid its broken form beneath it.

"Why?! Why did you do that?"

No answer.

Sylux stood, he clutched at his face as tawny blood poured from his ruined eye. He looked at Samus, then down to his destroyed weapon. The Hunter could see the gears turning as he quickly realized his only option. He turned his back and ran.

The Hunter tried to give chase, but found her feet planted firmly on the ground. The pain in her arm was gone. Her companion had healed her, despite its efforts to sabotage her in the first place.

"Why?"

Samus grunted. She was helpless as she watched her target get away.

"Why are you doing this?" It may have not been the most important question. "_How _are you doing this?" The parasite had never controlled her like this before.

He disappeared into the labyrinth. It began to dawn on the Hunter that much more than she knew had happened during the parasite's brief contact with him.

"Did you see something inside him? What did you do to him that you want him alive?"

_So paranoid. I just don't want you to have another species' extinction on your conscience._

"Bullshit," the Hunter spat. The parasite chuckled. She watched helplessly as a silver-green ship rose in the distance and shot into the sky.

"Dammit!"

_Why the anger? He's gone, isn't that what you wanted?_

"Tell me what you did to him."

Silence. But at the very least, the Hunter found she could move now.

What had it done to him? And did it do the same, or worse, to her? Samus felt sick. She started questioning everything. Had she ever truly had control?

The Hunter barely noticed she was walking. She felt as though in a daze. All she could think about were the endless possibilities of horrible things that could be going on inside her. Panic consumed her as a darkness crept over her mind. And yet, something broke through it. Vibrant hues of gold, orange, and crimson as familiar to her as her own face. The panic lifted for the briefest moment of clarity as she at last looked upon her armor.

She couldn't believe it. It was fully intact. From all appearances he hadn't managed to put a scratch on it. Her suit stood upright amidst a pile of dingy armor parts. It must have frustrated Sylux with just how much it stood out amongst its ancient counterparts.

The Hunter was so overjoyed at the sight she almost forgot her present company, and how hard it had worked to bring her here. This wasn't a victory; it was a trap.

She felt a chill swallow her chest. She couldn't breathe. She stopped moving and stared blankly forward, a hand clutched to her chest. It felt wet, completely drenched in blood. Blackened sludge crept out of the growing cavity. It grew and grew, and the more of it that left her, the more she felt her torso being eaten away.

She collapsed, gasping for air. But there was a hole where her lungs had been. She dragged her face against the floor and looked up as the drip of the Parasite's footsteps filled her ears. She stood above her, looming.

"Nothing personal, Samus."

Her form was different than before. A bit more articulate, but grotesque nonetheless. It seemed as though her brief contact with Sylux had given her more structure.

The Dark Hunter turned away and stepped forward. She placed her hand on the crimson chassis of a familiar suit.

"Finally."

Beads of light flowed from the suit and into her. Her skeletal features slowly disappeared beneath tough armor.

Her carapace hardened, turning deep black. Her pauldrons grew spikes that mimicked the Hunter's armor, and her highlights took on a distinctive orange. She detached herself, now complete.

Samus wondered why she was still alive. It seemed deliberately cruel, like she was being forced to watch the creature finish its work before she was allowed to die.

Her shadow turned to face her, kneeling down to put a claw under her chin, directing Samus to look her in the eye.

"You know, it's a shame," three vague, golden shapes narrowed beneath her visor. "I'll almost miss this. But at least you've given me some things to think about." She dropped the Hunter's head into the pool of blood, and turned away.

"Until next time, Samus."


	11. Epilogue

Eyes opened, a desperate gasp for air escaped. A bare human hand went flying against a console. It slammed against metal as its wielder quickly formed regrets.

She flapped her hand. "Ow…"

She reached for her chest, and started patting it down. Looking for...holes? She raised her shirt up and looked down. Nothing strange. Just skin, a freckle.

Her heart was practically beating out of her chest. Her heart. Not a hole. Why was she looking for holes?

"I was- I was dead."

Was she?

The Hunter looked around. She was sitting, surrounded by familiar medical instruments arranged in the cramped space of a gunship's med bay. Behind her, a short hall to the cockpit, lying in view of a sea of stars. Her suit was there, waiting for her.

"Hello?"

Nothing but the hum of instruments answered her. It was strange, this quiet. No voices, no one else. She was alone.

"Good."


End file.
